About The health department

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought social and racial injustice and inequity to the forefront of public health. As a matter of fact, in response to the pandemic, BSCO established a functioning health department focused on social determinants of health. As we know, health equity is still not a reality, and as a result, COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect black and brown communities, putting them more at risk of getting sick and, worse, dying.

Residents may not trust the doctors, but they sure do trust their faith leaders. Therefore, Pastor Chris Harris partnered with Northwestern Medicine to create a health show called “Clergy and Clinicians.” As a trusted voice in the community, PCH, African American and Latinx medical professionals have come together to address health concerns in communities of color. With episodes reaching over 100K views, residents are educated on issues such as Covid-19, Heart Disease, Organ Transplants, and Mental Health, as well as many other health disparity related topics.

BSCO and its collaborative partners have been committed to bringing free vaccines to our community, studying long term effects of Covid19 and helping to close Chicago's life expectancy gap. We have disseminated information that educated our residents while sharing facts and breaking down stigmas about the virus, variants, and vaccines. We were also able to provide free vaccinations to our residents, which helped keep them safe and alive. At the same time, it created a safe space for residents to come in and participate in peer support groups. These groups became a long awaited beacon of light where residents found hope and created a sense of community as they voiced their challenges, difficulties and mental health frustration during and post covid19.

With 15 Community events these specific efforts have resulted in a collaborative that achieved over 15,000 vaccines to residents on the southside of Chicago and 250 residents participating in a nationwide long Covid study that will help shape the way Covid-19 effects are treated in the underserved black and brown communities and generate up to $800 more to their household income.

Our team of individuals brave the streets of the Greater Bronzeville daily, in hand to hand marketing, gathering data through surveys, ensuring the voice of our community is reflected while producing new health focused programming. Doing things with the community and not to the community is a principle of our work.

Click HERE to complete our survey and let your voice be heard!

B3 COMING SOON!!!! STAY TUNED!

Lives and livelihoods depend on understanding Long-COVID

The RECOVER study is designed to help us understand why some people continue to feel sick after having COVID-19 and others don’t. It will also help identify what can be done to speed recovery and even prevent it.

Today, doctors don’t know.